Building a Headless CMS: Lessons from the Undervalued Gems of API-First Content

The future of content management? It’s already here. And it’s headless.

I’ve been building headless CMS solutions for a while now. And I’ve learned that the real power lies in what most people overlook — the quiet, undervalued tools and approaches that quietly outperform the big names. Think of it like spotting a rare coin before everyone else. In this post, I’ll share what I’ve picked up from working with API-first content systems, and how platforms like Contentful, Strapi, and Sanity.io — paired with tools like Next.js and Gatsby — can give you more control, speed, and flexibility than you thought possible.

Why Go Headless?

Let’s be honest: traditional CMS platforms like WordPress or Drupal were built for a different era. They bundle everything — content, design, logic — into one heavy system. Great for simple websites. Not so great when you need to publish across apps, kiosks, smart speakers, or a dozen other channels.

A headless CMS flips this model. The backend stores content. The frontend displays it. They talk to each other through APIs. Simple. Clean. Powerful.

Here’s why it matters:

• Omnichannel Experiences: One content source. Multiple destinations — websites, mobile apps, digital signage, you name it.
• Team Independence: Frontend devs and content editors don’t block each other. Work happens in parallel.
• Speed & SEO: Static site generators like Gatsby and Next.js help deliver lightning-fast pages with built-in SEO boosts.

It’s not about chasing the latest tech. It’s about matching the right tool to the job — like choosing a specific coin for its unique attributes, not just its popularity.

Choosing the Right Headless CMS

There’s no one-size-fits-all. But here’s how I think about the top options — based on real projects, not marketing fluff.

Contentful: For When Scale Matters

Contentful is built for teams that need reliability, global reach, and enterprise-grade features.

• Global CDN: Content loads fast, anywhere on the planet.
• Multi-language: Handles complex international content workflows.
• REST & GraphQL APIs: Choose how you want to fetch content.

It’s powerful. But it comes at a cost — both in dollars and complexity. I’ve seen startups get overwhelmed. But for large e-commerce brands or global platforms? It’s often worth it.

Strapi: When You Want Full Control

Strapi is open-source and self-hosted. That means freedom. You own the data. You control the stack. You decide the features.

• Plugins: Add SEO tools, custom fields, or authentication with a few lines of code.
• Admin UI: Editors can jump in without touching code.
• Database Flexibility: Works with MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB — whatever fits your needs.

I’ve used Strapi for projects where clients needed a custom editorial workflow. It’s like building a custom coin display case — tailored, precise, and uniquely yours.

Sanity.io: Built for Developers (That Care About Content)

Sanity is the one that gets me excited. It’s developer-first, but never at the expense of content editors. It’s fast, flexible, and built with React — so you can customize almost anything.

• Real-time Collaboration: Multiple editors working at once. No conflicts.
• Portable Text: Structured content that renders beautifully anywhere.
• Custom Inputs: Build exactly the editing experience you want.

It’s perfect for content-heavy sites — news, blogs, travel platforms — where content changes frequently and needs to look great on every device.

Pairing with Jamstack & Static Site Generators

Headless CMS. Meet Jamstack. They’re a perfect match.

Jamstack (JavaScript, APIs, Markup) isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a smarter way to build sites:

• Security: No live database. Fewer attack vectors.
• Speed: Pre-built pages served from a CDN.
• Scalability: Handle traffic spikes with ease.

The real win? When you combine it with a static site generator.

Gatsby: For Fast, Simple Sites

Gatsby pulls content from your CMS, builds pages at compile time, and serves them as static files. It’s fast. It’s secure. It’s ideal for marketing sites, blogs, and portfolios.

Here’s how I usually connect it to Contentful:

// gatsby-config.js
module.exports = {
plugins: [
{
resolve: `gatsby-source-contentful`,
options: {
spaceId: `your_space_id`,
accessToken: `your_access_token`,
},
},
],
};

Gatsby’s GraphQL layer makes querying content smooth. You get exactly what you need. No wasted payloads.

Next.js: When You Need Flexibility

Next.js gives you options. Static generation. Server-side rendering. Incremental static regeneration. It’s the Swiss Army knife for modern web apps.

Need to pull content from Strapi? No problem:

// pages/index.js
export async function getStaticProps() {
const res = await fetch('http://localhost:1337/api/articles');
const articles = await res.json();
return { props: { articles } };
}

const Home = ({ articles }) => (

);

export default Home;

I use Next.js for sites that need both speed and dynamic content — e-commerce, news hubs, dashboards.

API-First Content: The Real Win

The magic isn’t the CMS. It’s the API.

API-first means content is just data. Accessible. Portable. Reusable.

• Multi-platform delivery: One source. Many destinations — web, app, voice, IoT.
• Instant updates: Change content. See it everywhere, fast.
• No vendor lock-in: Want to switch tech later? Your content moves with you.

With GraphQL, you can be even more precise. Like Sanity’s query:

// GraphQL query in Sanity.io
{
allPost {
title
author {
name
}
body
}
}

You ask for what you need. You get only that. It’s efficient. It’s elegant. It’s how content should work.

Building Smarter, Not Harder

Headless isn’t about replacing everything. It’s about building a system that lasts.

Here’s how I approach it:

• Pick the right CMS: Enterprise? Go Contentful. Need control? Try Strapi. Love flexibility? Sanity’s your friend.
• Embrace Jamstack: Static generators mean speed, security, and scalability.
• Think API-first: Design your content to be accessible, portable, and future-ready.

The best systems aren’t always the most hyped. They’re the ones that solve real problems — quietly, reliably, and efficiently. Just like the undervalued tools and techniques I’ve found along the way.

We’re not just building content management systems. We’re building the next generation of digital experiences. And we’re doing it with tools that work — not just tools that talk a big game.

The future’s already here. Let’s build it right.

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